Shut-off valve mechanism for wet pick-up vacuum cleaner



Jan. 22, 1963 1, s s T AL 3,074,217

SHUT-OFF VALVE MECHANISM FOR WET PICK-UP VACUUM CLEANER Filed May 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTORS MARTIN l. SHEPS HARRY L. BEAM ATTORNEY Jall- 1963 M. l. SHEPS ET AL 3,074,217

SHUT-OFF VALVE MECHANISM FOR WET PICK-UP VACUUM CLEANER Filed May 29. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS MARTIN I. SHEPS HARRY L. BEAM BY /mwe ATTGRNEY United States Patent 3,074,217 SHUT-OFF VALVE MECHANISM FOR WET PICK-UP VACUUM CLEANER Martin I. Sheps, Baltimore, and Harry L. Beam, Towson, Md., assignors to The Black and Decker Manufacturing Company, Towson, Md, a corporation of Maryland Filed May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,283 Claims. (Cl. 55216) The present invention relates to a shut-oil valve mechanism for a wet pick-up vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to such a valve mechanism that is responsive to the liquid level, such that when a certain predetermined level of liquid is reached in the tank, the valve mechanism is actuated to preclude the further intake of liquid in the cleaner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, for use in conjunction with a wet pick-up vacuum cleaner, a shut-oil valve mechanism that includes a pivoted bifurcated cut-off lever, one end of which carries a float, and the other end of which carries a closure member.

-It is another object of the present invention to provide a shut-off valve mechanism that obviates the necessity for sliding closure members operating in vertical guideways.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a shut-off valve mechanism which will not clog because of dirt and debris, which will not jam because of water or air flow loading, and which is inherently rugged and reliable, inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to install.

It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a shut-ofl valve mechanism that may be sold separately as an accessory and then installed easily in the field.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shut-elf valve mechanism having a pivoted cutofi lever, wherein the pivot axis is oilset radially with respect to the air intake opening of the suction fan assembly for the vacuum cleaner.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from -a reading of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the complete wet pick-up vacuum cleaner, with part of the tank and dust bag being broken away in illustrate the shut-ofI valve mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a view corresponding to a portion of FIGURE 1, but showing the valve mechanism in an alternate position;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along the lines 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the closure member for the valve mechanism; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along the lines 6-6 of FIGURE .1.

With reference to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a wet pick-up vacuum cleaner 10 having a base portion 11, a cylindrical tank '12, rear wheels 13, front caster 14, handle 15, motor 16, inlet 17 formed in the cylindrical wall of tank 12, air exhaust 18, a cover or top portion 19 of the tank 12, a suction fan assembly 20 mounted within the top portion 19, a dust bag 21, a dust bag stretcher 22, and a shut-off valve mechanism denoted generally as at 23. Moreover, the motor-16 is provided with a shaft 24; and the suction fan assembly 20 includes rotating fan members 25 and 26 (mounted on shaft 3,?4,2l'l Patented Jan. 22, 1953 ice 24) and a stationary fan member 27 positioned intermediately of the rotating fans 25 and 26.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the vacuum cleaner v1i) herein illustrated is capable of picking up liquids, as for example soapy water, with the result that the liquid and dirt particles enter via inlet 17 and are collected in the bottom of the tank 12; and the clean air then passes through the dust bag 21 and the suction tan assembly 20 to be discharged via air exhaust 13. The shut-off valve mechanism 23 includes a bifurcated cut-off lever 23 pivoted intermediate its ends on a pivot rod 29, with the pivot axis being offset radially with respect to the air intake opening 35 in the suction fan assembly 20, and with the pivot axis being transverse to the vertical axis of tank 12; and the cut-off lever 28 includes a pair of diverging legs 3% and 31, one of which (36) projects upwardly within the tank 12 and the other of which (31) depends downwardly within the tank 12. A float 3-2 is secured to the end of leg 31 oflever 28, and the float 32 is adapted to float upon the level 33 of the liquid collected intank 12. A valve closure member 34 is connected to the end of the other legs 30 of lever 28, and the closure member 34 is adapted to seat against and seal old the opening 35 in the suction fan assembly 20, thus precluding the further intake of liquid in tank 12.

With reference to FIGURES 3 and 4, the bag stretcher 22 includes a pair of adjacent straps 36 and 37 having respective eyelet brackets 38 and 39 through which the pivot rod 29 is inserted; and a washer 40, transverse bolt 41, and nut 42 .are used to secure the pivot rod 29 against endwise movement out of the eyelet brackets 38 and 39 in the straps 36 and 37, respectively, the pivot rod 29 still being allowed to turn or pivot about its longitudinal axis. The lever 28 is then secured to the pivot rod 29 by means of a bolt 43 and nut 44. Moreover, where leg 31 of lever 28 passes through the dust bag 21, a rubber grommet 45 is inserted for sealing purposes.

With reference to FIGURE 5, the leg 30 of lever 28 carries the valve closure member 34, which comprises an annular rubber sealing washer 46, a flat circular metal backing plate 47, a bolt 48 spot-welded to the undersurface of plate 47, a Washer 49 abutting against a shoulder in bolt 48, and a locking nut 50. The leg 39 has an opening 51 having sufiicient clearance with respect to bolt 48, such that the leg 33 may have suflicient clearance to move axially of the bolt 48, as shown in FIG- URE 2.. The sealing washer 46 seats against the undersurface 52 of suction fan assembly 20, thereby sealing ofi the air opening 35 in the suction fan assembly 20 and precluding the further intake of liquid.

With reference to FIGURE 6, the float 32 is secured to leg 31 by means of bolt 53, washer 59, and nut 55; and preferably, the float 32 is made of Neoprene, but other materials, such as styrene or cork may be used, as well as a hollow metal float.

Obviously, many modifications may be made without departing from the basic spirit of the present invention; and therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than has been specifically described.

We claim:

1. In a wet pick-up vacuum cleaner, the combination of a tank, a suction fan assembly having an air intake opening within said tank, a dust bag surrounding said fan assembly and a shut-off valve mechanism within said tank and comprising a bifurcated cut-oif lever having a pair of diverging legs, said lever being pivoted intermediate said legs, one of said legs depending downwardly within said tank, and the other of said legs projecting upwardly within said tank, one of said legs passing through said dust bag, a float carried by the said one of said legs and adapted to float upon the liquid level in said tank, and a closure member carried by the said other of said legs, said closure member being intermediate said dust bag and said air intake opening of said suction fan assembly, whereby as the liquid level rises in said tank, said lever pivots and said closure member ultimately seals off said air intake opening of said suction fan assembly, thereby shutting off the suction eifect of the cleaner.

2.. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said tank has a vertical axis, and wherein said cut-oft lever has a pivot axis which is offset radially with respect to said vertical axis of said tank, said pivot axis being above the liquid level at all times.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said closure member comprises an annular sealing washer adapted to close off said air intake opening in said suction fan assembly, a circular flat backing plate for said washer, a bolt secured to plate and depending therefrom, and a washer and nut on the end of said bolt, and wherein one of said legs of said lever has an opening therein, said bolt passing through said opening with sufficient clearance at all times, and said one of said legs being between said plate and said washer.

4. In a wet pick-up vacuum cleaner, the combination of a hollow upright tank having a vertical axis, said tank having a wall including an inlet formed therein, said tank further having a top portion, a suction fan assembly mounted in said top portion of said tank and depending downwardly into said tank, said suction fan assembly having an air intake opening accessible from within said tank, a dust bag mounted within said tank and disposed concentrically about said suction fan assembly, a dust bag stretcher mounted within said tank and disposed between said suction fan assembly and said dust bag, said stretcher including a pair of adjacent straps, a pivot rod secured to said straps, said pivot rod having a transverse axis Which is offset radially with respect to said vertical axis of said tank, a bifurcatedcut-ofi lever having a pair of ends and pivotably mounted upon said pivot rod intermediate said ends, said cut-oft lever having a pair of diverging legs each projecting towards said vertical axis of said tank, one of said legs or" said cut-ofi lever projecting upwardly within said tank, the other of said legs of said cut-oil lever projecting downwardly within said tank and passing through said dust bag, a grommet between said dust bag and the other of said legs, a float secured to said other of said legs of said cut-off lever,

said float being adapted to float upon the liquid level in said tank and below said inlet in said tank, and a closure member including an annular sealing washer secured to said one of said legs, said closure member being intermediate said dust bag and said air intake opening of said suction fan assembly whereby as the liquid level rises in said tank, said cut-off lever pivots about said pivot rod, whereby said float rises in said tank and said sealing washer ultimately seals off said air intake opening in said suction fan assembly, thereby shutting oil the suction eflect of said cleaner.

5. In a wet pick-up vacuum cleaner, the combination 'of a hollow upright tank having a vertical axis, said tank having a wall including an inlet formed therein, said tank further having a top portion, a suction fan assembly mounted in said top portion of said tank and depending downwardly into said tank, said suction fan assembly having an air intake opening accessible from within said tank, said air intake opening being substantially aligned on said vertical axis of said tank, and a shut-off valve mechanism' within said tank and comprising a lever member having a pair of diverging legs, means to pivot-ably mount said lever intermediate said legs for pivoting movement within said tank about an axis which is transverse to said vertical axis of said tank and which is offset radially from said vertical axis of said tank, one of said legs of said lever projecting upwardly within said tank, :a closure member secured to said one of said legs for limited vertical movement substantially on said vertical axis of said tank, the other of said legs of said lever depending downwardly within said tank, and a float secured to said other of said pair of legs, said float being adapted to float upon the liquid level in said tank, whereby, as the level rises in said tank, said float rises accordingly, thereby causing said lever to pivot about its axis, and thereby causing said closure member to seal oil said air intake opening of said suction fan assembly at a predetermined level of liquid in said tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,856,105 Marden May 3, 1932 2,404,795 Garretson July 30, 1946 2,703,152 Peterson Mar. 1, 1955 2,863,524 Buda Dec. 9, 1958 2,989,769 Houser June 27, 1961 

1. IN A WET PICK-UP VACUUM CLEANER, THE COMBINATION OF A TANK, A SUCTION FAN ASSEMBLY HAVING AN AIR INTAKE OPENING WITHIN SAID TANK, A DUST BAG SURROUNDING SAID FAN ASSEMBLY AND A SHUT-OFF VALVE MECHANISM WITHIN SAID TANK AND COMPRISING A BIFURCTED CUT-OFF LEVER HAVING A PAIR OF DIVERGING LEGS, SAID LEVER BEING PIVOTED INTERMEDIATE SAID LEGS, ONE OF SAID LEGS DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY WITHIN SAID TANK, AND THE OTHER OF SAID LEGS PROJECTING UPWARDLY WITHIN SAID TANK, ONE OF SAID LEGS PASSING THROUGH SAID DUST BAG, A FLOAT CARRIED BY THE SAID ONE OF SAID LEGS AND ADAPTED TO FLOAT UPON THE LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID TANK, AND A CLOSURE MEMBER CARRIED BY THE SAID OTHER OF SAID LEGS, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BEING INTERMEDIATE SAID DUST BAG AND SAID AIR INTAKE OPENING OF SAID SUCTION FAN ASSEMBLY, WHEREBY AS THE LIQUID LEVEL RISES 